How FPOs Are Reshaping Agriculture in Maharashtra?

1. How FPOs Are Transforming Farming in Rural Maharashtra In the noteworthy step toward building climate-resilient livelihoods, WOTR, the best NGO in Maharashtra, with the help of the Honeywell Hometown Solutions India Foundation (HHSIF), had initiated a groundbreaking Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP) process. Implemented under the project “Integrated Water Resources Development and Promotion of Ecosystem-based Adaptation in Maharashtra: A Practice and Knowledge Embedded Approach", this initiative aims to empower Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs) by reinforcing income resilience and promoting sustainable, eco-friendly agricultural practices. Through this visionary approach, WOTR is helping FPOs navigate uncertainty, plan for future risks, and embrace long-term environmental and economic sustainability. Building Sustainable Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) The Indian Government has already established an ambitious target of registering 10,000 FPOs, bringing together more than 1 million farmers as members. These FPOs play an important role in helping farmers earn more from agriculture. They also help in creating and seizing various business opportunities, including value addition and trading, leading to the overall growth and stability of the agricultural sector. FPOs can support farmers’ livelihoods and contribute to a greener, more eco-friendly future for India’s agriculture landscape by simply focusing on sustainable, nature-friendly practices. Page 1 of 3

2. Maharashtra remains a leading state in the formation and promotion of FPOs, made possible through the joint efforts of the central and state governments, NGOs, and CBOs. The idea behind FPOs is to improve farm production by focusing on four key factors: •Water resource utilisation •Soil quality •Crop selection and •Land use However, with the rapid exhaustion of natural resources, deforestation, and competition among farmers to increase income threatens to further degrade the environmental foundation. Furthermore, extreme weather events like heavy rains, floods, hailstorms, drought, etc., worsen the vulnerability of the agricultural system. To address these challenges, WOTR initiated an application of a Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP) process to explore the long-term viability of current agricultural practices promoted by FPOs while maintaining robust production and income of farmers in the absence of a healthy natural resource base. The Transformative Scenario Planning (TSP) Workshop for FPOs To tackle this challenge, WOTR has started organising a series of workshops titled Farmer Producer Organisations (FPO) in Jalna District of Maharashtra in 2030: Towards Resilient Income and Nature-Friendly Agriculture Practices. In this workshop, the participants engage in a group exercise to assess the current situation related to farming, from the newspaper of recent months. WOTR’s Contribution in the Agriculture Sector Land degradation and poor farming practices have reduced productivity, worsening rural poverty. In India, especially in rainfed regions, crop yields are much lower, just one-third of the national average. While farmers in irrigated areas earn 60% of their income from agriculture, those in rainfed zones earn only 20%-30%. Page 2 of 3

3. Their Interventions WOTR works to improve farm productivity and profitability through climate-resilient and eco- friendly practices. By joining hands with communities to prevent land degradation, their approach helps farmers reduce the cost of cultivation, increase productivity and enhance their adaptive capacities. WOTR’s approaches include: •Sustainable, water-efficient practices like a system of crop intensification, organic farming, soil health management, pest & disease management, etc. •Productivity & Market Linkages (FPOs) like farmer producer companies, processing units & produce collection centres, value chain studies & business plans, and more. •Locale & Crop-Specific Agromet Advisories, such as short-term weather forecasts, local weather-based crop advisories, and FarmPrecise app. Conclusion In the end, Maharashtra is leading the way in promoting Farmer Producer Organisations (FPOs). At the same time, initiatives like WOTR’s Transformative Scenario Planning are essential in shaping a more sustainable and resilient agricultural future. These FPOs are transforming rural livelihoods and also laying the foundation for an eco-friendly, economically stable farming landscape by combining community-driven action with climate-smart practices. Source Link: How FPOs Are Transforming Farming in Rural Maharashtra Page 3 of 3